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Kafta

Sep 28, 2020 · 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe
a plate of cooked kafta with hummus and veggies and olives with pita bread on the side

Kafta is a delicious Middle Eastern meatball, that’s beautifully flavored with spices and fresh parsley. So easy to make, you basically combine all the ingredients in a bowl, shape, and bake them! You can also grill the kebabs, but I like making these in the oven for a quick no fuss meal.

What’s so good about this kafta recipe:

a plate of cooked kafta with hummus and veggies and olives with pita bread on the side

I experimented with a bunch of different mixes until I got to this mix, which is my all time favorite.

I think the blend of beef and lamb is the best way to go. You get the flavor of the lamb with less of the fat, and the beef and lamb balance each other out nicely.

The kafta is juicy, and full of texure and flavor from the onion, garlic, and fresh parsley. There is the perfect mix of spices with enough to really pack enough flavor without overwhelming.

Best of all, it’s so easy! You just dump all the ingredients into a bowl, mix thoroughly to combine and that’s your mix ready!

It’s convenient because this recipe can be used to make kafta kebabs you grill, or oven baked fingers like the ones I made here. You could also use a stovetop grill pan and grill indoors.

This recipe is the ultimate in kid friendly. My kids love making simple sandwiches with pita bread and hummus, or just dunking the kofta fingers into ketchup with a side of fries.

There’s a lot you can do with the meat mix. You can form it into kebabs. You can spread it out into a pan to make sinneeyit kafta. This is a sort of Arabic meatloaf topped with tomato and potato slices).

You can make it into meatballs and cook it in a tomato pomegranate molasses stew- this is called Dawood Basha and it’s delicious! I have a recipe for that right here.

What do you need to make kafta:

ground meat in a bowl with chopped onions and parsley on chopping board

The meat: My preference is a 50/50 mix of beef and lamb, but you can use all of one type of meat if preferred.

The herbs: Fresh chopped parsley imparts a lot of flavor in this, and is crucial to kafta’s flavor. Finely chop the parsley after washing so it mixes in well.

The spices: salt, pepper, seven spices (or all spice or mixed spices), cinnamon, cumin, a pinch of red chili flakes.

Onion and garlic: The key is pureeing or grating the onion so you don’t get big chunks of onion that will make it hard to form meatballs. I made this mistake once, and it was a messy process with lots of diced onions falling out. You can use the rough side of a cheese grater, or just process in a food processor.

How to make kafta:

ground meat with onions and parsley in a bowl with a small bowl of spices on the side

It’s the easiest process ever! Once you have your parsley chopped and your onion grated, there’s nothing to it.

Simply mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. I like using gloved hands so I can really work in the spices and herbs into the meat. Give it a good mix!

You can also pulse the onion in a food processor, as well as the parsley, then add the meat and all the other ingredients in and pulse. You have to be careful with this though and barely pulse once the meat is added so that you don’t overwork the meat and it ends up too dry.

Form the meat mixture into kebab shapes (little oblong cylinders). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or pan.


I like to chill the kafta while heating the oven, because I think it helps the kafta holds its shape better, but this isn’t necessary. Once the oven is hot, the kafta needs to cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

I set the oven to broil after the kafta was cooked and briefly broiled the kafta fingers until dark golden brown spots formed to give it a little of that grill like flavor. Delicious!

Alternately, you can actually grill the kafta on skewers on an outdoor grill, or indoors in a grill pan. I find the oven method to be so low fuss, but do whatever your preference is, this is just a great base recipe.

What to serve kafta with:

I love having kafta sandwiches. What I do is stick a couple halved tomatoes and halved onions on the baking sheet with the kafta before it goes in the oven so that they cook through and char a little when I broil the dish. Then, I make sandwiches with hummus, kafta, and a little grilled onion and tomato, and gherkins.

My kids love having kafta plain with french fries and ketchup on the side.

You can keep this low carb and have it with a side salad.

You can also do kafta rice bowls, serve it alongside vermicelli rice with a dollop of hummus and some diced tomatoes and vegetables.

Alternately, you can use the kafta mixture to make meatballs like in this Dawood Basha, or to make kafta bilsinniyeh.

How long can kafta be stored:

Cooked kafta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Cooked kafta also freezes well for up to 3 months.

kafta sandiwch held over a plate of cooked kafta with hummus and veggies and olives with pita bread on the side

Kafta

Farah Abumaizar
A delicious Middle Eastern spiced meatball, made. with fresh parsley, spices, onion and garlic. It's full of flavor and so easy to prepare!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 4 people
Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb ground beef 250 g
  • 1/2 lb ground lamb 250 g
  • 1/2 onion, grated or pulsed in a food processor
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • small handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp seven spice or all spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • pinch red chili flakes

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well until combined. You can use gloved hands or a spoon to mix. I prefer using hands!
  • Form the meat mixture into oblong kebab shapes like pictured. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, and chill in fridge until the oven heats.
  • Heat the oven to 350 F (180C). Bake the kafta for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Optional, heat the oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes to get golden brown crispy edges on the kafta.
Keyword beef, lamb

Kafta Kebabs by everylittlecrumb on Jumprope.

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Dawood Basha

Vermicelli Rice

Eggplant Pomegranate Salad

Chicken Fatteh

Lamb Mince

Did you make this? Tag @everylittlecrumb or hashtag #everylittlecrumb and I’ll share your images!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kylie Archer says

    September 29, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    These are so amazingly delicious! Thanks for this recipe, the whole family loved it!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      September 29, 2020 at 3:59 pm

      Thanks so much! So glad to hear that Kylie

      Reply
  2. kim says

    September 29, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was absolutely delicious! The whole family enjoyed. I’ll definitely be making this one again!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      September 29, 2020 at 4:00 pm

      Thanks so much Kim! So happy to hear it

      Reply
  3. Kate says

    September 29, 2020 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, what a delicious plate of food! Everything about that looks irresistable – just perfect for a meal with friends. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      September 29, 2020 at 4:00 pm

      Thank you Kate! Appreciate the kind comment

      Reply
  4. Lizet Bowen says

    September 29, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    5 stars
    I love eating kafta. I’ve never made them before and was a little nervous to try and do it myself. Great explanations. They turned out really well!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      September 29, 2020 at 4:00 pm

      It’s actually the easiest thing ever !

      Reply
  5. Beth Sachs says

    September 29, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious with homemade flatbreads and hummus. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      September 29, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      Thanks so much Beth! Homemade flatbreads sound wonderful

      Reply

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Farah Abu Maizar | Food Lover
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Ingredients:
For the rice:
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3-4 onions thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
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1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
Additional 3 cups water
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For the fish:
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1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp paprika powder
big pinch salt and pepper

To garnish:
Toasted almond slivers
Chopped parsley

Method:
For the rice:
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-Remove the onions from the pot, and reserve a big handful for garnishing the rice. Place the remaining caramelized onions in a blender, add 1 cup of water, the spices for rice, and the tomato paste and blend until a thick sauce forms.
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For the fish:
-Heat the oil for the fish in a large skillet. Mix together the spices for the fish fillets and sprinkle both sides evenly with the spice mixture. When oil is hot, add the fish to the skillet and cook for a few minutes a side or until white and flaky and cooked through.
Assemble:
Place all the rice in a serving platter and top with the fish, the reserved caramelized onions, toasted nuts and parsley! Enjoy!!
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Method:
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Roll into 12-14 balls and store in fridge for up to one week. Enjoy!

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#chocolatecake #magnoliabakery #cakestagram #cakephotos #layercake #chocolate #ganache #foodblog #instayum #yummy #bakery #foodporn #foodtographyschool #foodphotography #slice #delish #foodfluffer #damnthatsdelish #croissant #croissants #cafe #pastry #almonds #frenchtoast #berries #nutella #truffle #brioche #scrambledeggs
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INGREDIENTS:
 
4 eggs, room temperature and separated (yolk from white)
1 1/2 cups sugar 300 g
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp orange blossom water
zest of 2 oranges
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup room temperature butter 113 g
2.5 cups all purpose flour 312 g
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup fresh orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS:
 
Preheat oven to 350 F (180C) and prepare your cake pan by lightly greasing and lining with parchment paper or flouring. I used a 9 inch springform pan, you can also use a bundt cake.
Using your fingertips, work the orange zest into the sugar until the sugar has moistened and turned fragrant and changed into a pale yellow/orange color.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle or whisk attachment, mix the egg yolks, orange zest scented sugar, vanilla, and orange blossom water on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes or until pale yellow and fluffy.
Add the oil and the butter and mix until well combined.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined, then add the juice and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl (either with a handheld mixer, or transfer the cake batter to another bowl and thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl) use an electric whisk to whisk the egg whites on medium high speed for 2-4 minutes until they form peaks that hold their shape.
Fold the egg whites into the cake batter with a rubber spatula, I like to do this in three additions. Take care not to deflate the egg whites.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the outside of the cake is browning too rapidly and the inside still isn't cook, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the baking time. Start checking at 40 minutes, every oven is different.
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